Sunday, February 15, 2009

More work in progress

I thought I would post what I've been up to in the studio these days. I've had to skip several studio days to attend to family matters but I did manage to get to a lot of under paintings and works-in-progress. Today, I'm posting the monochromatic under-painting of an 18x24" version of a painting study called "Ol Red". you can see a little of my set up in the foreground of the photo, I've decided to leave it in and chat briefly about my process, tools and pallet. That small bottle of light-brown colored liquid on the lower left is a nip of Baileys Irish Cream. Just kidding! Thats my bottle of Alkyd medium; Liquin. I use that in the early under painting stages to help the paint dry quickly. I'm using a wood pallet these days but I also use a glass one at home. My colors have been about the same for the last three years..from left to right as you see them layed out on my pallet are Titanium White, Cad Yellow, yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Cad Orange, Burnt Umber, Cad Red, Aliz Crimson permanent, Dioxozine purple, Ultra Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cad Green Light, Permanent green, Viridian, Sap Green and Ivory black. Not shown are the colors I was using to do this under painting: Winsor & Newton Under painting white, Mars Black and Raw Umber. I had my full pallet out just in case I was feeling audacious..I wasn't. I use a lot of different brushes but for the under painting I use hog hair bristle brushes (various brands) and a few sable varieties to soften edges. I don't use any turps or add oils at the under painting stage. Actually, thats a lie..After I seal the charcoal drawing of the boat with a spray fixative I apply a "whisper thin" coat of refined linseed oil to the entire canvas to improve even flow but thats it! Then I cover the canvas with a thin layer of Raw Umber and use a rag to wipe away my lights. I build up the lights further using the under painting white. this keeps my lights opaque and thick while maintaining thin and transparent darks. I work the darkest darks with a thin wash of Mars Black. Thats it really. I'll chat more about my process when I post the next image of the progress of the above painting.I put this work-in-progress painting in a frame and set it on an easel by my work station so I could sneak peaks at it throughout the day..hoping to find resolution to the issues I posted last time. I got some creative emails from some friends of mine..my old college roomate Dan sent me back this image with a shark fin behind the boat. The truth is, I'd love to go with that one but my brillaint frined Beaman suggested I crop it..I may go that route.here is what my set up was like while working...you can see some of my really cool studio too. I'll try and post a panorama of my studio in the future, I absolutley love working there.

Thanks Judy. Mike, regarding Apesos, I regret that I never studied with him, I heard he was the pride of the fine art department..I studies painting at AIB with Ken Beck. My current technique is a combination of things I picked up at PAFA and workshops with Sean Beavers and Joe McGurl. Thanks for looking, hope you are well.Best,Todd